1. Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline
There are so many things I like about that album. I like that it completely changes with how much attention you give it. I guess everything is that way, but music does that especially. This album can be a calming wash or a really epic up-and-down. It’s seemingly subtle, but if you really get into it, there’s so much to … vibe on, I guess? [Laughs] I listen to it mostly to sleep, but in a lucid dreaming kind of way. I won’t fully be sleeping, but it would allow me to be calm. I’m pretty anxious. Sleepy music is some of the most important music to me. I’m almost connected to it because my brain relaxes enough that it can really feel it for a while. And it probably starts working underneath everything while I’m asleep too. I’m not a really good sleeper. I also listened to this album right before I wrote all of my first album, and I kind of credit it with connecting part of my brain that allowed me to write for the first time. My obsession was full-blown. There’s something really brave about how minimal it is. It’s not minimal in impact, but in how there can be so few elements and still have such weight to it.
